The Travel Bookshop in west London, which was made famous by the Hugh Grant film "Notting Hill", is closing down in two weeks' time.

The London shop on Blenheim Crescent was founded 32 years ago and is owned by European Estates Plc, which has been looking for a buyer for the business since May. The bookshop yesterday began its two-week closing down sale, offering 50% off everything in store.

South Korean tourist Sojeong Kim said she had come to visit The Travel Bookshop after seeing it in the film and was shocked at the thought of it closing down. She said: "I am sad no more tourists will be able to visit it anymore."

Monique Quant, a local resident, said she had come with a shopping list to buy 15 books for her and a friend in the closing down sale. She said: "I think it is tragic and unfortunate that the shop is having to close. My friend is even more gutted than I am about it as she shopped here too, and I have been coming here for around six or seven years."

She added: "I think a lot of local bookshops are suffering because of Amazon, more and more people are buying books from there—but I try to support independent ones because soon I worry there will be none left."

European Estates Plc has not responded to recent press enquiries from The Bookseller about the closure.

In May, a spokeswoman for the company said: "His [the owner's] adult children have indicated that they would rather not follow him into the business and so he feels that the continuance of the trade would be best served by selling it on for a new generation to look after one of London's iconic and special bookshops."